Marijuana Business Magazine

130 • Marijuana Business Magazine • November / December 2017 C alifornia’s new medical and recreational marijuana programs are taking shape and will continue to evolve after their official launch in January. Below are some of the California policymakers and business leaders who are in a position to shape what the state’s marijuana marketplace will look like. Lori Ajax: Chief, California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control Ajax is among the most power- ful policymakers in what is poised to become the world’s biggest marijuana market. As head of California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control, Ajax oversees the drafting of regulations for the new medical and adult-use MJ programs.The agency issued draft rules in April and is expected to finalize those regula- tions by the end of November. Once the newly regulated MMJ and recreational programs launch in January 2018, Ajax’s agency will be responsible for licensing retailers, distributors and testing labs.The California Department of Public Health and the Department of Food and Agricul- ture, meanwhile, will be responsible for licensing product manufacturers and growers, respectively. by John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey C alifornia D reamin' Golden State Meet some of the policymakers and leaders who could have a big influence on California’s new regulated cannabis industry Herb Wesson: President, Los Angeles City Council Wesson is the top legislator in a city that drives the largest regional MJ market in the world. He’s in a position to either empower an immense existing marijuana industry – or to oversee its contraction. So far, Wesson has indicated he wants to embrace MJ businesses, thanks to the eco- nomic benefit the industry brings with it, including jobs and tax revenue. But through 2017, Wesson and the rest of the council have struggled to make headway on city regulations, including a proposed social equity program that would bring more minori- ties into the marijuana industry. Regardless, Wesson will play a major role in shaping the future L.A. cannabis industry. Virgil Grant: President, Southern California Coalition Another cannabis fixture in Southern California, Grant has been in the mari- juana business for decades in Los Angeles and is now president of the region’s most politically powerful MJ organization. Grant and the SCC have been deeply involved in negotiations with Wesson and POWER PLAYERS